Filter member

Abstract

A filter member is movable between a first position and a second position when passage of air through the filter member is obstructed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A housing for computer equipment comprising:
 a fan and a filter member, the filter member being movable between a closed position and an open position; 
 in the closed position air drawn into the housing by the fan passes through the filter member; 
 in the open position the filter member is spaced apart from the housing and air drawn into the housing by the fan flows through a gap between the housing and the filter member; 
 the filter member being biased into the closed position and movable into the open position by air pressure generated by the fan when passage of air through the filter member is obstructed. 
 
     
     
       2. The housing of  claim 1  wherein the filter member is biased into the closed position by the weight of the filter member under gravity. 
     
     
       3. The housing of  claim 1  wherein the filter member is biased into the closed position by a biasing device. 
     
     
       4. The housing of  claim 1  wherein the filter member has an air resistance such that when the filter member is clean it adopts the closed position and passage of air through the filter member does not move the filter member to the open position, but when the filter member is dirty the filter member's air resistance is increased such that air pressure generated by the fan moves the filter member from the closed position to the open position. 
     
     
       5. The housing of  claim 1  wherein the filter member is pivotably connected to the housing or a support within the housing and pivotable from the closed position to the open position. 
     
     
       6. The housing of  claim 1  wherein the filter member is substantially parallel with a wall of the housing in the closed position and at angle to the wall of the housing in the open position. 
     
     
       7. The housing of  claim 1  wherein a portion of the filter member moves towards the fan when the filter member moves from the closed position to the open position. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus comprising:
 a fan to draw air into the apparatus and; 
 a filter member pivotably connected to the apparatus and able to pivot between a first position in which the filter member is positioned against a frame and air can pass through the filter member into the apparatus and a second position in which the filter member is spaced apart from the frame and air can enter the apparatus by passing through a gap between an edge of the filter member and the frame; 
 the filter member being weighted to move from the first position to the second position when passage of air through the filter member is obstructed. 
 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the frame has a plurality of apertures each of which is associated with a respective filter member; each filter member being movable between a first position in which it is positioned against the frame and a second position in which an edge of the filter member is spaced apart from the frame. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 9  further comprising a rack having a plurality of rows and wherein each aperture in the frame corresponds to a row on the rack. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the filter member has a top edge and a bottom edge and the wherein the filter member is pivotable about its top edge. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the filter member has a top edge and a bottom edge and wherein the bottom edge of the filter member moves towards the interior of the housing in the second position. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the housing includes an indicator which is visible when the filter member is in the first position and obscured when the filter member is in the second position. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the indicator is a bright or fluorescent marking, or a sign indicating that the filter should be cleaned or replaced. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the apparatus houses servers, data storage devices, and/or network devices. 
     
     
       16. A bezel for computing equipment comprising:
 a frame and a filter member pivotably attached to the frame to pivot between a closed position in which the filter member is positioned against the frame and air can pass through the filter member and an open position in which an edge of the filter member is spaced apart from the frame and air can flow through a space between the filter member and the frame; 
 the filter member being movable under air pressure from the closed position to the open position when flow of air through the filter member is obstructed. 
 
     
     
       17. The bezel of  claim 16  wherein the frame defines an aperture, a plurality of filter members are pivotably attached to the frame, and
 wherein each filter member is located within the same aperture of the frame, and 
 wherein each filter member is independently movable from a closed position to an open position under air pressure when passage of air through said filter member is obstructed. 
 
     
     
       18. The bezel of  claim 16  wherein the frame defines a plurality of apertures, and
 wherein each aperture is associated with a respective filter member, each filter member being movable from a closed position to an open position, each filter member substantially covering the aperture which it is associated with when the filter member is in the closed position and spaced apart from the aperture to allow flow of air through a gap between the filter member and the aperture when the filter member is in an open position. 
 
     
     
       19. The housing of  claim 1 , wherein the filter member is resiliently bendable from the closed position to the open position. 
     
     
       20. The bezel of  claim 16 , wherein the filter member slides from the closed position to the open position.